The Maine Senate this morning passed a bill that would allow same-sex marriage in Maine. The Senate voted 20-15 in favor of the measure. Supporters say it would end discrimination against gays and lesbians and opponents say the proposal is an attack against the institution of marriage. This morning’s vote means the bill has cleared its first hurdle in the Legislature. However, it still needs to pass through the House of the Representatives

This is why I do what I do. Getting people from our community elected to public office puts a face to these laws that affect us. Having him in that room and able to give this speak to his colleagues really show the power behind having an LGBT person at the table making the decision.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives approved the addition of sexual orientation to the Federal HateCrimes Bill. Also known as the Matthew Shepard Act, the addition was passed 249-175 over a series of Republican objections, including some that denied that Matthew Shepard's killing was actually a hate crime.

Go here to see how your representative voted. Did they vote the way you would have?

I received this email written by NGLTF (National Gay & Lesbian Task Force)

I don't know if you've heard yet, but a comprehensive hate crimes bill (H.R. 1913) has passed the House Judiciary Committee and is about to come up to a vote in the full House of Representatives. I've joined with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund to ask my representatives to pass this legislation without delay.

We've been trying for years to get hate crimes legislation passed -- and right now is our best opportunity to finally win. Will you please take just a few minutes to contact your representatives today and urge them to pass comprehensive federal hate crimes legislation?http://www.kintera.org/site/lookup.asp?c=grLKK1PHLqF&b=5117035

Every hour, every day, at least one hate crime offense is committed somewhere in the United States. Of those attacked, it's estimated that at least 15% of hate crimes are related to a person's perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. But the biggest crime here is that this very same legislation that would help protect the most vulnerable communities affected by hate crimes has been before Congress many times, yet we've never seen it become law.